


Precariousness

by unwindmyself



Series: curious shapes shift in the dark [7]
Category: True Blood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Gen, Vampire Family, Vampire Politics, agency and choices!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-19
Updated: 2013-10-19
Packaged: 2017-12-29 20:25:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwindmyself/pseuds/unwindmyself
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's around this time that the vampire situation is getting more dangerous, for humans and vampires both, and the only thing to do is deal with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Precariousness

**Author's Note:**

> Part four, "Down With the Shine."

“Lemme out here,” Jason says, tapping on the window as they drive past the police station.

Pam raises an eyebrow, turning to look behind them as Tara pulls into one of the parking spaces along the sidewalk.  “Doesn’t look like our moving crew followed,” Pam declares.  “Guess they thought it wasn’t worth it.”

Tara brakes just a _little_ too abruptly.  “You oughta be safe, is what she means,” she tells Jason.

“I know,” Jason shrugs.  “I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, well, shit happens even when you think that,” Tara says archly.  She’s sorta proof of that theory, not that she wants to talk about it.  “So don’t go doin’ anything stupid.”

“Or stupider than usual,” Pam cuts in, grinning insincerely.

Jason makes some noncommittal, inarticulate noise before letting himself out of the car, and Tara shakes her head.  “Do you just like bein’ an ass?” she mutters.

“You think it’s cute,” Pam declares.

“I think it’s obnoxious,” Tara retorts, but she’s smiling just a little anyway.

 

* * *

 

“Daddy Daddy Daddy,” Braelyn and Danika shout the second Andy and Jason are through the door.  The jukebox is blaring, Sookie and Lafayette are seated at the bar with ice cream sundaes of their own (you make those things and you start to want one, though theirs are considerably less covered in candy than the girls’).

“Daddy, wanna see?” Charlaine wheedles.  “We made up a dance.”

“Mostly it’s stuff offa the TV,” Adilyn amends humbly.

“I’m sure it’s real nice,” Andy says, but he’s all sighs and exhaustion.

“They’re angels,” Sookie promises him, knowing what he’s about to ask.  “Real sweet kids.”

“Enough energy for a whole grade school, but sweet,” Lafayette adds.  “Everything okay out there?”

“Fu – freakin’ vampers,” Jason grumbles in that way Sookie’s already getting tired of and definitely doesn’t understand.   “Another attack, whole family this time.”

Sookie and Lafayette pull identically horrified faces, and back behind everyone, from their current seats atop the pool table they were born on, the girls all grimace too. 

“And none of ‘em… y’know,” Lafayette hesitates (well, it’s not like the kids aren’t going to know what’s going on or what he means – _none of ‘em made it out alive_ – but he still doesn’t feel like he oughta say it out loud around them).

Jason and Andy shake their heads.  “It’s gettin’ worse out there,” Andy proclaims.

 

* * *

 

“Do you mind if I…?”

It’s asked out of courtesy, but between the fact that Nora’s already standing by the radio and the look on her face, she knows what the answer will be.

“You don’t want to use some fancy computer music instead?” Eric asks, glancing up.  “I think Pam has some Lady Gaga downloaded.”

Nora rolls her eyes.  “Don’t be an ass,” she retorts.  “Besides, I’m in the mood for the ambient noise that comes inherent with terrestrial radio.”

She hits the power switch and begins to adjust the tuner, but before she finds the classical station she’s hoping for (none of her more modern favorites get terribly much airplay, and anyway instrumentals are better for thinking to) she hears a man’s voice saying “vampire rights.”

She doesn’t keep searching.

“ _Syster_?” Eric murmurs, turning more fully away from the computer. 

“Ssh,” she hisses, waving a hand impatiently.

“It’s just late night political talk radio bullshit,” he says.

 _…amendment to the state constitution_ …

“It’s the same old evangelizing.”

 _…proposing to institute a statewide curfew for vampires_ …

“They’re talking out their asses.”

_…Governor Burrell’s response to the recent outbreaks of violence following the TruBlood bombings…_

Nora sinks onto the futon, looking shell-shocked.

_...under the law, any vampire-owned business would be closed down and repossessed…_

Wordlessly, Eric crosses to the futon and gathers his sister in his arms.

“We did this,” she whispers.

 _…furthermore, it would be policy to arrest any vampire out after curfew on sight_ …

“Shit,” Eric finally says. 

 

* * *

 

Tara’s had the radio set to something alternative – or as alternative as it gets in these parts – for the last fifteen minutes, and she’s mouthing lyrics along here and there, so Pam assumes her progeny knows and/or likes the stuff and as such she doesn’t have the energy to argue with it.

It’s late enough at night that they go off on a rash of terrible 90s pop-punk after a while, though, and when it gets to Blink-182 Tara rolls her eyes and switches the channel herself.

“I’d think that would make you all nostalgic,” Pam says.

“I don’t really do nostalgic,” Tara replies.  “You wanna find something?  It’s probably your turn.”

It’s still too early in their relationship for Pam to admit her occasional fondness for absurd pop music, and this definitely isn’t the hour or mood for sultry jazz or the comments it would inevitably prompt her to make.  But she still has to start looking.

She pauses for just a second to fuss with her hair, leaving the radio changed to some dumbass talk show, and she mumbles inarticulate annoyances.

_…amendment to the state constitution…_

“Lemme change it,” Pam says.  “It’s just human politics.”

 _…proposing to institute a statewide curfew for vampires_ …

“I’m pretty sure that’s human politics that’s gonna affect our asses too,” Tara says archly, slapping Pam’s hand away from the dial.

_...Governor Burrell’s response to the recent outbreaks of violence following the TruBlood bombings…._

“There’s been some idiot on talk radio trying to fuck with vampire rights since vampires _got_ official rights,” Pam declares.

“Real comforting,” Tara mutters.

 

* * *

 

“This is our fault,” Nora exclaims.  “We brought this on ourselves.”

“Calm down,” Eric says, wrapping a hand around her wrist to keep her still (he knows otherwise she’ll start pacing like mad).

“How in the sodding fuck am I supposed to calm down?” she insists.  “It won’t be easy to keep the world from ending in some bloody religious apocalypse if we’re confined to our damned cubbies during all of the hours we’re functional.”

“It hasn’t been passed yet,” he counters.  “There’s still time.”

“Yes, because despite not knowing what the hell we’re doing, it won’t take long at all to off the blinkered demon god,” she shouts, belatedly yanking her arm out of his grasp but staying seated in half-concession.

“Time to make sure this law doesn’t happen,” he corrects, evenly as he can.  It’s sort of cute how her vocabulary shifts to that of a slang-happy teenager when she gets this angry, but it’s not the most productive.  “You’re a politician, you should be good at that.”

Nora wrinkles her nose.  “Yes, but in case you hadn’t noticed, we pretty well killed all of the necessary resources,” she points out.

Eric shrugs.  “And besides that, you know how these things go,” he continues.  “They like to rile people up, but how many times does it actually pan out?”

“Not all of them, at any rate,” she admits.  “But it’s better to be prepared than not.”

He nods, pulling her close once more and kissing the top of her head.  “We will be.”

“Don’t lie,” she says immediately.

“No, that’s your province.”

“And don’t be a bastard.”

He rolls his eyes, but he leans to kiss her again, this time on the mouth.  “Think of it this way,” he murmurs against her skin.  “Worst comes to worst and the government just serves as a trial run.”

“Inspiring,” she declares, resting her head against his shoulder.  “When did you become such an optimist?”

“You’ve always thought too highly of me,” he says.


End file.
